Torch



fo. 1. GROEHN.'

TORCH. APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1920.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

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UNTED STATE PATENT DFHQE.

OTTO J. GROEI-IN, OF DETROIET, MICHEGAN, ASSGNOR TO CLAYTGN @t LAMBERT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 0,1? DETJLUIT, MGHIG'AN, A CORPORATION 0F MICHIGAN.

Application filed April 9, 1926.

T 0 all whom t may concern Be it known that l, OTTO J. GROEHN, a citizen of the United States of America, residing' at Detroit, in the county of `Wayne and State of h/lichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Torches, of which the following is a specication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The' invention relates to torches and other similar structures, in which there is a portable liquid-holding tank subjected to air pressure. It is the object of the invention to provide means for reinforcing the tank against stresses incident to its use, and to also insure a liquid and air tight sealing of the same. ln particular, one of the features of the invention is the means employed for reinforcing the handle connection, which relieves the sheet metal of the tank from vocal stress at the point of attachment. A further feature is the construction by which the handle may be quickly assembled and may be removed or replaced without injury to other parts of the structure. A further feature'is in the means for reinforcing the burner connection by the same member that forms the handle reinforcement, and further, in the various specific features ashereinafter set forth.

ln the drawings:

Figure l is a sectional elevation of a torch of my improved construction;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a modilied construction;

Fig.` 3 is a horizontal section through the construction shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 4f is a vertical section in the plane of the handle showing the manner of engaging the saine with the supporting posts.

ln the manufacture of blow torches and similar .devices it is the usual practice to form a. tank of pressed sheet metal, to which is attached a burner connection and handle, as well as other auxiliary devices. In some constructions the pump for placing air pressure upon the liquid fuel in the tank is incorporated in the handle, so that it is necessary to form not only a mechanical connection between the handle and tank,but also a sealed conduit connection. Heretofore such tanks have been reinforced by the placing of suitable reinforcing members in* side of the tank to which the attachments Specification of Letters Patent.

TORCH.

Serial No. 372,582.

are secured; but as far as l am aware, in the attachment of the handle it has been necessary to secure the same before the tank 1s closed, usually by a. screw threaded stud from the handle bracket which passes into the tank and engages a clamping nut therein. YV here in use ahandle is broken, it is 'difficult to repair the saine, and frequently 1t is easier to scrap the whole structure than to make a repair.

Vlith the present invention thehandle is detachably engaged with an internal reinforcement for the tank, so constructed and attached as to form a liquid and air tightseal. This' internal reinforcement is also extended to strengthen the top as well as the side of the tank and the extension forms a reinforcement for the burner connection.

ln detail, A is the tank which is provided with a burner connection B at the top thereof, and at the side a handle C. Inside of the tank is placed a reinforcing member D and as specifically shown, this reinforcing member is in the form of an angle bar having a portion 'D' extending across the top of the tank and a portion D2 extending down one side thereof. The portion D has formed at its end an eye portion E, which has an upwardly extending flange F passing through an aperture in the sheet metal tank, said aperture being surrounded by an upturned sheet metal flange (i, which is soldered to the flange F. The eye E is internally threaded to receive the burner conduit B, so that the stress from the burner is distributed through the entire member D. rllhe portion D2 at the side of the tank is fashioned to provide a segmental face iitting against the inner face of the tank. lt is also formed with recessed threaded bearings H for engagement with the bracket arms or posts l, which are connected to the handle C. These posts l are formed with threaded nipples J for engaging the threaded bearings in the member 2, said nipples passing through registering apertures in the sheet metal of the tank. ln order to form a liquid tight seal, the threaded sockets .H are closed at their inner ends and the member D is soldered along its edges to the inner face of the tank, thereby preventing any leakage around the handle.

With certain constructions of torch the pump is incorporated in the handle and it is Patented J an. d, 1921.'

necessary to provide an air passage from the pump barrel into the tank. This may be formed as shown in Fig. l, by a post or bracket member l', which is hollow or tubular, while the threaded socket H in the member D2 with which it is engaged is open at its inner side into communication with the interior of the tank. At its outer end the post I is provided with a socket if with which the lower end of the barrel of the pump is engaged, preferably by a threaded engagement. The upper post lf has an annulus L through which the pump barrel may be slipped before it is engaged with the )est I.

i Where the posts 1, 1', etc., are secured by screwing the same into the reinforcement, it is necessary that they should be turned to an exact position for engagement with the pump or handle when fully tightened in their engagement with the reinforcement. If the tightening were effected by engaging a square shoulder' on the post with the bearing on the tank, it would be necessary to carefully out the threads or fit the same, which would be diiiicult and increase the cost of manufacture. T have avoided the difliculty by forming a tapering bearing on the post in place of a square shoulder, which permits of turning the post after initial engagement with its bearing suliiciently to arrange its outer end in proper relation to the handle. As shown, the tapering portion M on the post fits against a corresponding taper N in the socket f1 and the sheet metal of the tank is preferably flanged, as at O, to lie between these tapered bearings so as to be tightly forced to a seat, thereby forming an additional seal.

Where the pump is not in the handle, as shown in Fig. 2, I have provided a simple construction. This' comprises a recessed bearing P at the outer end of the handle post for receiving the end of a handle formed of wood or other suitable material. There is also a central lug Q apertured for the passage of a screw and engageable with a central recess in the end of the handle. The parts are assembled by turning the posts at an angle, as indicated in Fig. 4, en-

gaging the handle with the central lugs t)v and then by turning the posts fully engaging the sockets P with the handle. Screws R are then inserted through the lugs Q and into the handle, which will hold the same rigidly in position.

forming the reinforcement for both the handle and the burner of a single member of angle form, the construction is greatly simplified over the use of separate reinforcements and means of attachment. This reinforcement may be formed of cast metal having its bearing faces machined or otherwise accurately formed, so as to fit against the walls of the tank and by then soldering the edges the structure is both strengthened mechanically and sealed against leakage.

What 1 claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with a tank, of a reinforcing member extending along the inner face of said tank and forming a sealing joint therewith, and a handle post having a stud passing through the wall of the tank into engagement with said reinforcement.

2. The combination with a tank, of a reinforcing member extending along the inner face of the wall of the tank and forming a sealing joint therewith, and a plurality of handle posts passing through apertures in the wall of the tank and engaging said reinforcement.

3. The combination with a tank, of a reinforcing member extending along the inner face of the wall of said tank, a handle outside the tank secured to said inner reinforcement, and an extension of said reinforcement along the inner face of the top of the tank, said extension being provided with a bearing for engagement with the burner conduit.

4C. The combination with a sheet metal tank, of a reinforcement therefor, comprising a bar of angle form, one portion of said bar extending vertically along the inner face of the side wall of the tank and the other bar extending along the inner face of the top of the tank, a support for the burner conduit on the top portion of said reinforcement, a threaded socket formed in the side portion of said reinforcement, and a handle post passing through the side wall of the tank and engaging said threaded socket.

5. The combination with a tank having integral top and side portions drawn from a sheet metal blank and a bottom secured to the side portion, of a reinforcement in the form of an angle bar adapted for insertion in the tank when the bottom thereof is removed, said reinforcement having a side portion to which the handle of the tank is secured, and a top portion forming a support for the burner connection.

6. The combination with a sheet metal tank, of a reinforcing member engaging the inner face of the wall of said tank, a handle post passing through an aperture in the wall of said tank, and engaging a recess in said reinforcement, and a fiange surrounding the aperture in said tank clamped between bearings on said post and reinforcement.

7. The combination with a sheet metal tank, of a reinforcement fitting against the inner face of the wall of said tank and provided with a threaded recess therein, a handle post having a threaded portion passing through an aperture inthe tank and engaging said threaded recess, and tapering bearings on said reinforcement and post, permitting of the turning of the latter after initial engagement into a desired angular relation.

S. The combination with a sheet metal tank, of a reinforcement arranged along the inner face of said tank, and a handle for said tank secured to said reinforcement comprising a pair of posts having threaded portions for engaging threaded sockets in the reinforcement, a handle proper extending between the posts, and tapering bearings on said posts and reinforcement me1nber, permitting the turning of the posts after initial engagement into proper angular relation to said angle.

9. The combination with a sheet metal tank, of a reinforcement member extend ing along the inner face of the tank, a handle outside said tank comprising a pair of posts having threaded inner ends for engaging the threaded sockets in said reinforcement member, a handle extending between the outer ends of said posts, and screws passing through the ends of said posts into longitudinal central engagement with said handle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

OTTO J. GROEHN. 

